Like Whoa
by DreamOnDreamers
Summary: UP FOR ADOPTION. I've lost inspiration for this story, so if you think you can make this a great story being as I have no ideas for it, inbox me, and I guess I just email you the story or whatever. Sorry if anyone is disappointed but I have a couple other stories i want to focus on and I cant finish this one. SOMEONE PLEASE INBOX ME.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: set in New Moon when Bella goes to see Jake the first time since he phased. Bella is a bit OC in this fic, she's sassier, stronger, more sarcastic and snarky and not the idiot damsel in distress she is in Twilight. Jacob has Imprinted on her, but refuses to drag her back into the world of the supernatural after all she's been through. The bit of song here just explained the situation perfectly so I had to put it up****. R&R! Enjoy!**

**Love, Maddie x**

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"_What he don't know is how hard it is to make it look so easy…" Natasha Bedingfeild. _

Chapter 1

Jacob POV

I heard her truck pull up but I just kept walking. I knew if I looked at her right now, I would likely drop to my knees and beg her forgiveness for what had happened at her house last week. I had been so mean and hateful towards her. I still couldn't believe I had told her that she wasn't worth my time. She had punched me straight in the jaw and ran into her house crying. She tried to hide the tears from me, but I saw them all the same. The punch hadn't hurt physically, but it hurt my heart to know what I was doing to her.

I walked down the slope of the big ditch beside my house and up the other side. The incline wasn't very big, but it was a little steep so the water wouldn't overflow and flood out the house. I heard her truck door slam closed and then her little feet stomping against the muddy ground as walked after me.

"Jacob!" she called. I had never heard her sound so deadly serious. The way she said my name was like a command. She was completely calm, as calm as anyone could be, and it was obvious before I even looked at her that she was here with a goal in mind and that goal was not to argue with me. I stopped and turned to face her as the rain poured down heavily, soaking us both. Bella, beautiful Bella, was dressed in her signature skinny jeans and sneakers. She wore a gray tanktop under a lavender button shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her long, beautiful brown hair dangling in soaking wet bundles all the way to her waist. She was beautiful, even soaking wet. She was gorgeous, truly.

"I thought I told you to stay away," I said flatly, showing no emotion. If I did show her emotion, I knew she would see the lie easily like she always did, and she couldn't know.

"Are you done?" she asked, her voice so calm and relaxed that it was almost as if she was asking me about my favorite band or color.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you done? Are you done with me? With this, what we were becoming? Are you finished? You, Jacob. Not Sam, not Embry or your dad, not anybody else, but you."

She always asked the hard questions. No, I wasn't done. No, I couldn't keep seeing her. No, it wasn't just because of Sam. I didn't want to hurt her. I wanted her to move on from this, all of this. She'd find a guy someday. A normal guy that could go anywhere with her. That could protect her from herself and others and love her and give her what she deserved.

I stared into her fathomless brown eyes, and all the love, affection, and care for me shined back at me through her expressive eyes. Her eyes would always tell how she truly felt, not matter her words. Her eyes always gave her away. But regardless of how much we loved each other, I would not bring her into my world. Not after she had tried so hard to claw her way out of it. No. I wouldn't pin her here with me when I knew she could do so much more.

So, I looked her in the eye, and lied.

"Yes. I'm done." Even as I said the words, I wanted to throw up, wash my mouth out with soap, and then throw up again after I slapped myself silly.

We stared each other down for a minute. I heard the pack gathering in the safety of the trees at the edge of my property, but they stayed there. I guessed they saw me and Bell and knew we didn't need to be disturbed right now.

I expected her to cry, yell, hit me, but what I did not expect was what she said next.

"You know that story in the bible? About the king and the two women fighting over the baby? The king said to just cut the kid in half, but it was only a test, just to see who loved the child more?"

"Yeah. King Solomon," I answered reflexively. Why was she asking me that?

"Well, I'm guess I'm just not gonna tear you apart anymore, Jake," she murmured. I immediately knew what she meant. She loved me, loved me more than anyone, her surrender proved it. I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what to say to her. She silenced my gapping in the best way.

She stepped forward, placed her hands on my chest, and touched her lips to mine. It wasn't a hard, insistent, we're-gonna-have-sex-now kiss. It was a soft, sweet, sensual, I-love-you-but-I'm-letting-you-go-now kiss that conveyed all her heartache, all her pain and sadness and love. It shocked me still for a moment before my arms curled around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Her hands cradled my head softly as her lips pressed a little more firmly to mine. Our tongues slowly invaded each other's mouth, tasting and caressing every crevice and corner. It was the most amazing, sensual, emotional kiss I have ever shared with anyone.

It was over way too soon.

She pulled back before I wanted her to, but I let her. I rested my hands on her hips as our foreheads pressed together, our eyes closing for a moment. God, I wanted to tell her so bad. I did not want to lose her, but I knew this was for the best. She would be okay without me. Better, actually.

She leaned away, though her hands stayed on my chest and mine stayed on her hips. She looked up into my eyes and my breath caught as I saw the raw emotion there. She wasn't dulling or hiding any little bit of what she felt, and I knew, I _knew_, she had had enough.

"Goodbye, Jake," she murmured, leaning up to kiss the underside of my jaw softly. I felt a shiver run down my spine. She lingered for a moment before stepping away, her hands lingering for a too short moment. She turned her back on me and her hands fell to her sides as she walked back to her truck, not running, just simply and plainly walking away. I was shocked. I didn't think she would've actually walked away, said goodbye. But I had told her I was done. What reason did she have to keep trying? I still couldn't believe she was really walking away. I knew she still loved me, as I loved her. I knew she wouldn't ever forget me, but the thing I didn't know was whether she was really truly leaving. Was she just leaving me or was she leaving Washington completely? I didn't know. All I know was I was completely shocked that she had just turned around and walked away. She had been so hurt by that leech, I didn't think she could just leave. But she did. She said goodbye, and she left. I was speechless.

I watched motionlessly as she got into her truck, started it, and drove away, not a single tear in her eyes. I stood there for a minute after she left, feeling numb and not having a clue as to what to do.

Suddenly, I felt Sam laying his hand on my shoulder, squeezing in a gesture of comfort and support. I hung my head, beyond shocked and upset. She just. . . left. I didn't even know she could do that.

"That is one tough chick," I heard Collin comment to Brady, sounding genuine for once. And she was. Bella was a hard-ass, strong, and becoming stronger every day.

"Jake, come on, bro," Quil said, clapping me on the shoulder. I nodded after a silent moment and followed them into the trees to phase. I didn't bother with tying my clothes to my legs. I just dropped them to the ground and phased. I stretched and then started sprinting. I don't think I've ever run so hard in my life. By the time I finally stopped and laid down on my side, my legs were numb and I'm pretty sure one of my paws was bleeding a little. I was still on our land, but I'd run the boarder for hours and hours, and the pack stayed with me the whole time, lending me their support and comfort.

Needless to say, I felt like crap.

***BELLA***

I tilted my head back so the hot water could wash over my face and down through my hair, washing out the conditioner. It was still raining outside, and was about noon, but Charlie was going to be working at the station over the weekend, so he wouldn't be home for a couple days.

I had been thinking ever since I punched Jake last week. I knew I was not going to be the victim ever again, so I had decided to cut the bullshit and come right out with it. I asked him what I wanted to know, he told me he was done, I kissed him not because I wanted to change his mind, but because I wanted him to know I loved him too, and then I told him goodbye and drove away. It wasn't easy turning my back on Jake, nor was it easy saying goodbye, but I knew if I didn't, I was just going to hurt myself. I loved Jake, but I had to stop making sure that everybody else was happy and letting myself be miserable. No. I'm not doing that anymore.

Which was why I was doing what I was doing.

I was so sick of everything right now. I was sick of how I looked, how I acted, the way I was treated by my friends, the way I carried myself. I was just sick of not being myself. So, I made my plan.

First step to that plan was a shower, then I was packing a bag with the nesessities for a week, and then driving to L.A. where I would buy a whole new wardrobe, new hair stuff, get my nails done, and get a new car. On the way back to Charlie's, I'd called my mother and she had eagerly agreed to my plan and was stocking my debit account with several thousand dollars she'd been itching to give me. She gave me full permission to get the Jeep I had always wanted and to get all the stuff I needed and wanted. She even made me a reservation at a five-star hotel in Los Angeles for me to stay at while I was there. She'd wanted to come and meet me and I had told her I just wanted to be alone for a week or two, but I'd call her after and tell her if I wanted her to come up. She understood, saying that she knew that I just needed to be alone for a bit. I was excited. I didn't have anything specific to be looking for other than my Jeep. I was getting a Jeep Wrangler, the one I had been dreaming of getting for the past ten years of my life, and I decided that that was the first thing I was doing when I reached California. I was keeping the truck, I loved it to death, but I needed something faster, and something that could handle off-roading and just a more up-to-date vehicle.

I rinsed off and got out of the shower. I towel-dried my hair as best as I could before I slapped it up in a knot and went to my room. I dressed in a pair of loose fitting gray yoga pants with a red t-shirt and a pair of sneakers before I set to packing my bag. I packed my two favorite pairs of jeans, one skinny, one straight-legged, lots of shirts and tank-tops, and then piled sneakers and socks and bras and panties on top before zipping up the stuffed duffle bag and setting it by my bedroom door. I unloaded all my schoolbooks from my backpack and reloaded it with a couple changes of clothes, my toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, a little bottle of shampoo and conditioner, my face wash, tampons, and then set it with the duffle bag before I dug through my closet for the big purse Mom had bought me. I stuffed my little tiny bag that held some tampons and pads and such into the purse, along with a notebook, pens, my iPod and ear buds, eye contacts stuff, and my little address book. When I was done, I grabbed my bags, turned off my lights, and went downstairs. I wrote a short note to Dad, telling him where I was and that I would be back in no later than three weeks, and that I was perfectly safe and not to worry. I wrote down the hotel's number in case he wanted to call, and then I stuck it to the fridge, grabbed my car keys, and ran out to my car, careful of the slippery concrete. I quickly got in the cab, slinging my bags into the passenger seat. I started the truck and it roared to life. I turned on the heater and let it warm up for a moment while I got out the map of the States and figured out which direction I needed to go. I found the route quickly and by then the cab was warming up nicely. I pulled out and drove out of our cove and out onto the main highway in just a few minutes. The old truck wouldn't go any faster than 55, so I didn't go quickly, but soon enough, the sleepy town of Forks that was my home was becoming smaller and smaller in my rearview, until it disappeared altogether.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! This story is un-beta'ed, so please excuse any mistakes. This and the next one or two chapters will be all about Bella's transformation and her time in California. So, read, enjoy, and then be good readers and click that little review button and tell me what you think! I'll hand out cookies! **

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Chapter 2

Bella POV

I stopped at a motel about halfway through Oregon at about midnight, eating fast-food along the way. I left there at about nine in the morning and reached L.A. at about midnight. I parked my truck in the reserved spot that said my name on the sign and signed in at the desk before leading the bellhop out to my truck and letting him get my bags because I was just too tired to do it. He met me at my room, which was a family sized suite that my mom had booked for me, and he set my things in the master bedroom before leaving me quick with the number to the front desk and a kind smile. I stripped down, took a very shower, and then just flopped into bed naked, pulling the soft, plush blankets and cool sheets up around me as I slipped into unconsciousness.

I woke up the next morning at ten-thirty, feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. I got up and took a shower, again slapping my hair up and not bothering with makeup. I put on the skinny jeans I'd packed, a tank top and a thin purple t-shirt over, slipped on the battered sneakers, and was about to gather my purse and such when someone knocked on my door.

"Room Service!" a female voice called.

I walked to the door and opened it. A young blond in a nice skirt suit stood there with a medium-sized box in her hand, a letter taped on top.

"Miss Swan, this just arrived for you from your mother. My name is Cleo and your mother asked me to be your personal assistant. If you need help with anything, whether that is finding a certain place or what store is the best, I am here day or night," she explained sweetly, smiling kindly as she handed me her card.

"Um, thank you," I said. "Did she say anything about. . . "

"Your mother has informed me of your situation. Bella, I want you to know that if you want someone to talk to, I'm a good listener. I know what it feels like to not feel like yourself and be really down. I support your little vacation. A new look and some time away from home can do wonders."

I suddenly got an idea.

"You said that you're going to be my personal assistant?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you come with me today? I'm going to go and buy a new car so it doesn't take me an hour to get across the street and then I'm going shopping for the rest of the day. It'd be great if I wasn't on the phone with you all day asking you where to go."

"Of course! I would love to go with you. I'll just go and tell my manager and I'll meet you in the lobby. Whatever I do so long as it involves you, I'm getting paid, so that works. We get to go have a girls' day and I get paid for it."

We laughed.

"Oh! Here is your package," she said, handing me the box. "Renée said to get it to you quickly. I need to go and tell my manager. I should be in the lobby in about ten minutes."

"Okay. I'll be down there as soon as I'm done opening this."

"See you."

"See you."

I closed the door as she walked back down the hallway, and sat on the couch in the living room. I opened the package and found a brand new iPhone. I am not ashamed to say I squealed like a little girl and turned it on before I ripped open the letter as it booted up.

_Dear Bella,_

_I know you don't have a cell phone and I want to be able to talk to you whenever we want, so here ya go! I already programmed it with mine and Phil's numbers, and your dad's too. I put a gift card in the package that has five hundred dollars on it. Use that to buy accessories and such for the phone. Cleo is here to help you, and be your friend while you're in California. I hope you two have fun and I hope that you find yourself again. Sweetie, go find your style, go do fun stuff. Go to an amusement park and ride rides with Cleo. Go do something crazy and fun and be safe please. Call me when you can and don't forget that you can come to Florida if you want. I love you, baby._

_Love, Mom._

I smiled as I tucked the gift card into my battered wallet. I unlocked my phone and decided to personalize it later. I set all the chargers and such in my backpack and then stuck my phone in my front pocket before grabbing my keys and purse and going down to the lobby where Cleo was waiting at the desk. She had changed into a pair of casual jeans and a simple black t-shirt with sneakers, her long, straight blonde hair pulled back in a messy bun similar to mine. We looked like Twinkies.

"So do you know a good car dealership that sells Jeep Wranglers anywhere around here?" I asked as we walked to my truck together.

"Ummm. . . . yeah! There is a Jeep dealership about fifteen miles from here, headed towards Beverly Hills. We can get there in about twenty minutes, and it's almost eleven on a Sunday, so we'll be beating most people who are going out for lunch or whatever."

"Great. So that's where we're going."

I got in the driver's seat and she hopped into the passenger's seat and I didn't blame her when she covered her ears when I started the beast.

"Jezum Pete, this thing is loud," she stated, uncovering her ears as I pulled out.

"Yeah, but it's built like a tank, so it can withstand a lot of damage. Which is something I needed at the time. I was a little accident prone, but I'm determined to break my old habits and become a better Bella. the one I've been wanting and needing to be. Sorry if I'm being corny, but it's the truth," I said as I pulled out onto the road.

"It's okay. I'm corny sometimes too, so we can't laugh at each other." we laughed. "So, what is the plan for today?"

"Well, after I get my Jeep, I'll have a wrecker come and take my truck back to Washington, and then I wanna go to the biggest mall here and, first things first, get my hair cut. Because this," I pointed to my hair, "has to stop." she nodded. "Then, I wanna go and get my nails done. I haven't done that in a couple years, so I really wanna do it. After that, shopping. I'm getting a whole new wardrobe because the one I have back in Forks consists of a couple good pairs of jeans and some t-shirts." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm just doing a makeover day, really. If this is going to be too much for you-"

"No! I like shopping and all that, and I can really help you find your style. Did you have a hair cut in mind or no?"

"Not really. Just something other than this bland mass of fuzzy curls."

"I think you would look good with a kind of scene haircut. Not like the ones where its' really, really short on top, but more like a bunch of layers. Starting at just above your ear for the top layer and then inching down. We can keep your length, just trim the dead ends and maybe cut some side-bangs. If you want, we could even have them put some colors in it."

"I like the scene idea. I don't think I'll be dying anything though. I've never really liked color in my hair."

"That's a good idea. Your color is so pretty, I don't think you would like having a different color either. I have to recommend getting a hot oil treatment because your hair needs some big pick-me-up. Have you been using Pantene?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Pantene is a good product, don't get me wrong. But Bedhead has done wonders for my hair. The reenergize is what I use, but you'll probably need the ultra plus strengthener to strengthen it. It's so weak right now, so we'll have to get you some Bedhead products. You'll love it, I promise."

"Okay. That sounds good."

"Great."

For the rest of the drive, we talked about hair and nails and clothes and accessories and I have to tell you that it felt good to act like the girl I was. I haven't acted like a girl for a while and now that I was, it felt amazing to just be myself.

We found the dealership easily and with minimal amount of traffic, like Cleo had promised. We walked into the dealership and a saleswoman walked up to us, dressed in a nice pant suit with her hair up in a tight bun and a blinding smile lighting her face.

"Hello, ladies," she greeted us kindly, holding her hand out to Cleo. "My name is Kristen."

"I'm Cleo," Cleo said as they shook hands.

"I'm Bella," I said as I shook Kristen's hand.

"Great to meet you and thank you for coming in today. What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for a Jeep Wrangler. My truck outside, I call him Albert, is just really old and won't go over fifty-five miles an hour, so I need something a little more up-to-date. Do you have any Jeeps in stock?"

"Yes, ma'am, we certainly do. If you ladies will just follow me out to the lot, I'd be happy to show all the styles we have to offer."

"Great," I said, smiling. Me and Cleo followed Kristen out to the lot and over to a section completely dedicated to Jeeps. I was in heaven.

"Okay. This is a Jeep Wrangler," Kristen said, gesturing to a nicely sized bright green Jeep. She proceeded to explain all the luxuries of the car, the mileage and all the little tweaks and quirks about it while I looked at it, sitting in the driver's seat, looking around. I finally decided it wasn't what I wanted and we moved on to another. This went on for about forty-five minutes before we landed on the eleventh Jeep Wrangler. It was a more luxurious Jeep. It was tall, not horrible as to where it would be a work out to get in and out of it every day. It had a safety cage, and a hard plastic canvas that could be lifted up and folded back with the push of a button, and could be pulled forwards to cover the back half of the vehicle in case of rain or whatever reason you wanted it closed. The back seat was nice and big, lots of leg room and nice leather seats. The front seat was also very nice with black leather seats, an automatic gear shift, power steering, drool worthy radio and sound system. There was lots leg room, so it wasn't cramped in any way, the seats slid every which way and direction and could be heated. Everything was up-to-date, pricey, and very, very, very nice. I was instantly in love with it.

"I want this one," I decided after a quiet moment, and Cleo squealed with me as we hugged each other, jumping up and down like little girls as we laughed, singing, "new car! New car! New car!"

Kristen laughed and smiled at us as we calmed down, still smiling like idiots.

"We'd like this one please," I said calmly, faking a serious expression.

"Great. And, ladies. It's okay to be excited. Feel free to jump around and laugh. I know how exciting it is."

"Wanna join us?" Cleo asked her, waggling her eye brows.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly-"

"Oh, come on, Kris!" we whined, pouting at her. "Just for a second."

She gave in.

"Okay. But only a second."

We nodded.

We all broke into smiles and started laughing and jumping up and down. Kristen got into it and we started jumping around in a group hug for a moment.

We all let go and smoothed our clothes and cleared our throats.

"Let's go sign some papers, shall we?" Kristen asked after the last of the laughs. We nodded, smiling with her. We followed her to her office and spent the next forty-five minutes talking over insurance, warranty, and other such things. Kristen had a guy drive my car around and had already called a wrecker to come and pick up my truck. I gave her Charlie's address and phone numbers and then me, Cleo, and Kristen all got all my stuff out of the truck and put it all in a cardboard box and set it in the backseat of my new Jeep Wrangler. We shook hands and then me and Cleo loaded up into the Jeep and drove off as the wrecker got there to pick up my truck, Kristen having all my information so I could go.

This was the official beginning of my new self. I was going to make a whole new me. A me that I felt comfortable and natural being, and I knew that Cleo was going to be a great help.


End file.
